When a professional football player’s career is over, it is very common for that athlete to try their hand at professional wrestling.
A.J. Francis is the latest one to try their hand at making it in the squared circle, as the former NFL defensive lineman has signed a three-year deal with the WWE and will begin his quest to become a pro wrestler.
The 29-year-old, whose career in the NFL spanned from 2013 until 2018, was with the New York Giants in 2018, but was only on the practice squad and never played in a regular season game for the team. Francis was released by the Giants in September of 2018.
Once he was released, Francis immediately began training. He seeks to join some of the most well-known names in wrestling who were also retired football players; Bill Goldberg, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Brian Pillman, Ron Simmons, Baron Corbin, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and many others.
For one match, Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was in the main event of WrestleMania XI in April of 1995 and defeated Bam Bam Bigelow. Despite winning the match, it was the only time that L.T. would ever appear in professional wrestling.
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